Index
Day 1 - Flying
Day 2 - World Cup
Day 3 - Buenos Aires
Day 4 - Ushuaia
Day 5 - Drake Passage
Day 6 - Antarctic Circle
Day 7 - Antarctica
Day 8 - Antarctica
Day 9 - Antarctica
Day 10 - Antarctica
Day 11 - Antarctica
Day 12 - Drake Shake
Day 13 - Ushuaia
Day 14 - Return
Antarctica
The actual process of setting foot on my seventh continent was-- like crossing the Antarctic Circle-- itself quite underwhelming. But the whole experience, like Antarctica itself, was both unique and amazing. First continental landing of the trip on the shores of Marguerite Bay was marked by icy waters and an Adelie penguin greeting everyone, a pair of seals, and then once properly on land, a colony of seabirds to the left, a good-sized colony of Adelie penguins in the distance to the right-- most of the adults sitting atop a brown fuzzy chick or two. Quite an introduction to Antarctica.
Schnitzel for lunch, and the realization that most soups on this cruise were very similar-- but necessary given you're running around in temperatures just a degree or two above freezing outside.
More impressive icebergs on the way to the afternoon zodiac cruise off Stonington Island. More icy waters and some spectacularly blue icebergs, along with an ice cavern at the leading edge of the glacier that was there at the start of the zodiac cruises, yet had collapsed by the end (!). Starting to appreciate the changes and shifts in icebergs as well-- how they float, tilt, flip over, the age of the ice that they're composed of, etc. as you cruise by them in the water.
Wrapped up the afternoon with an impressive amount of both guests and crew doing a polar plunge. Had calm seas and no wind, so many dozens of us jumped in! Courtney, the assistant expedition leader, called us all crazies, but she jumped in as well, along with the expedition leader (Stefano) and his girlfriend (Joyie)-- Stefano says he does this every chance he gets.